The Vessel
by mink'prowl
Summary: Akward Batpaw, a lowly apprentice, discovers that fate has more in store for him than he or his clan ever anticipated. When a dog, wolf, and cat steal him away to fulfill a puzzling prophecy, the outcome is more than anyone could have dreamed of.
1. Just a short note

**Just a short note**

Thank you so much for all of you who have chosen to read my fanfic. Reviews are greatly appreciated, but no pressure :)

**Disclaimer**: **I do not own Warriors or its basic concepts, locations, or characters, it all belongs to Erin Hunter.**

I do however, lay claim to the characters and the plotline in this book (fanfic) except for Bramblestar (Brambleclaw) and the clan names (I know they aren't actual _characters _but just to avoid later problems, might as well put it in there anyway).

I hope you enjoy this. **TY for reading :)**


	2. Alliances

**Alliances**

**StarClan**

_*Fawnsteps: _white she-cat with fawn splotches and bright-yellow eyes; deceased warrior; Roughtongue's mate; Piedpelt, Puffytail, and Batpaw's mom.

**ThunderClan**

**Leader**_**: **__Dunestar: _gold tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Deputy**_**: **__Tuggingbranch: _dark brown tom

**Health Advisor: **_Roughtongue: _black tom with green eyes

**Apprentice: **_Sandpiper: _creamy tabby she-cat

**Apprentice: ***_Gustpaw: _silver tom with green eyes

**Spiritual Advisor: **_*Minkprowl: _dark brown tom with a white chin

**Apprentice: **_**Batpaw: _small raven-black tom with owl- yellow eyes

**Warriors: **_Quickpounce: _yellow tom

_Sparrowhawk: _brown tabby

**Apprentice: **_Screechpaw: _tortoiseshell she-cat

_Martenleap: _brownish-gold tom.

**Apprentice: **_Rustlepaw: _red tom

_Twigfeather: _tortoiseshell she-cat

_Fishdive: _blue tom, Downypelt's mate

_Piedpelt: _white and black patched tom.

_Puffytail: _white and fawn patched tom

**Queens: **_Downypelt: _white and ginger she-cat

**Kits: **_Dipperkit_: brown she-cat with a white chest

_Merlinkit_: white and ginger tom

**RiverClan**

**Leader: **_Tidestar: _blue she-cat with aquamarine eyes

**Deputy: **_Whirlpool: _gray spotted tabby tom

**Warriors: **_Ripplefur: _a golden-brown tom with unusually curled fur.

**Apprentices: **_Violetpaw: _lilac she-cat

_Minnowpaw: _silver she-cat

**ShadowClan**

**Leader: **_Swoopstar: _golden tom

**Deputy: **_Shrikehunt: _gray and black tom

**Warriors: **_Hoppingwren: _brown she-cat

_Mottlednose: _blackish-brown tom

**WindClan**

**Leader: **_Boltstar: _black tom with a white blaze

**Deputy: **_Qualflight: _small brown she-cat

**Spiritual Advisor: **_Windswept: _old gray tom with golden eyes

**Apprentices: **_Marbledpaw: _gray marbled tabby

_Wispypaw: _tiny white she-cat

*,** Denote main characters


	3. Prologue

**_The Vessel __  
_**

**Prologue**

Somewhere in the midst of one's dream . . .

A dark brown cat prowled through eternal darkness. Emptiness this vast would have scared the life out of any normal feline, but this tom was different. He was a spiritual advisor: a cat that communicates with ancient warrior ancestors and interprets messages and signs from StarClan.

His bright white stripe-going from his chin down to his neck-stuck out in the blackness. The tom's dark yellow eyes searched for something-anything-in the continuous space.

Suddenly a blinding light appeared in the nothingness and a white and fawn splotched she-cat crawled her way out of the light towards the tom.

In the blink of an eye, the light disappeared, leaving the fawn-spotted female alone with the anxious brown tom.

The she-cat's pelt shone with unearthly light. Stars glowed from within her and illuminated the strange suspension around them.

"Fawnsteps," the tom said, trying to contain his excitement. For three moons he had been trying to contact StarClan to ask who his apprentice should be, but StarClan had mysteriously disappeared. Now that one of them was before him, so many questions roiled in his mind and conflicting emotions were making him edgier than usual.

"Minkprowl," she answered, fully aware of his internal struggle. She kept herself calm and collected in an attempt to pass on some reassurance to him, but to no avail.

"Where have you been?" Minkprowl demanded. "I've been looking, I've been trying. Why won't you speak to me?"

Fawnsteps sighed. "Something has happened."

"What? Is it bad?"

The proud she-cat's eyes began to pool with worry and the atmosphere tensed. "Yes, it's worse than anything we have ever seen."

"What do you mean? Do you know how many times that's been said? All the clan cats thought that moving to the lake was the worst thing that ever happened! Look where we are now!"Minkprowl's limited patience was rapidly disappearing as his attempt to stay calm was growing evidently more fruitless. "Whenever there is a flood or a fire, it's always the worse thing in history! Why are you being so vague anyway? Can't you j-?"

"The world is going to end, Minkprowl. This is beyond anyone's control."

Minkprowl's tail twitched in agitation. His pelt was bristling furiously and he was on the verge of igniting a very dangerous argument. "I still don't understand."

"The higher spirits-they do not like to be called gods -have decided to reform. Start over. Do you get it? There are two vessels-cats, maybe dogs-that carry the seeds of re-creation. Very soon, all will be gone." Fawnsteps gritted her fangs and desperately tried to control the panic that threatened to consume her whole.

"You disappear for over three moons and now you finally come back, only to tell me that everything I know will be lost? Why couldn't you have told me earlier?"

"Show some respect! We have tried our best to deliver the news to you, but even StarClan didn't know of their plans until recently."

Minkprowl bared his teeth into a snarl, "There has to be something you can do!"

Fawnsteps' shoulders drooped in defeat. Minkprowl was surprised and taken aback by her sudden surrender. Confused, dreary quiet filled the silent space.

Fawnsteps' starry pelt began to fade, "Train Batpaw as your apprentice, teach him the ways of a noble warrior."

Minkprowl jumped in place and shock coursed through his angry red veins. "Batpaw? Why Batpaw? Forgive me Fawnsteps, I know he's your son, but honestly, it would do the clan more good to have a badger in the camp."

Fawnsteps' owl-yellow eyes flashed with fury and lament. "He is a vessel," she meowed.

"What is a vessel?" Minkprowl inquired.

"Just make sure he stays safe. Teach him control. Show him how to be at peace," she replied. The young warrior began to fade into nothing.

"No! Fawnsteps don't go!" Minkprowl begged.

"I have no more to say. Good- bye Minkprowl."

A slight whisper slipped through the darkness as Fawnsteps disappeared completely.

Minkprowl couldn't believe it. Uncontrollable bitterness crept up his spine. "No!"


	4. Chapter 1: Batpaw

**Chapter 1**

_**Batpaw**_

Unsheathed claws battered my face. One blow after another. Terrible, stinging shocks like fire on my skin blended into a single unending hurt.

"Screechpaw! That is enough!" Sparrowhawk yowled.

Sickeningly warm blood stream down my face like sap on a tree. I was in too much pain to open my eyes, but I could imagine the muscular brown tabby snarling at his daughter with false anger. His fiery orange eyes glowing with pride and inner-satisfaction. I know he liked seeing me get beat up, I could feel it.

He was one of the cats that blamed me for what happened ten months ago. On that terrible newleaf night of my birth, when my mother bled to death and only one out of her five kits survived. I was that one.

Screechpaw snorted arrogantly and walked to the edge of the training hollow to sit on her fat, conceited ass.

Twigfeather, my tortoiseshell mentor, came over to softly lick my face. Her rough tongue tugged painfully at the edges of my wounds, but the warmness of her gesture comforted me. "Get up," she mewed.

I got onto my feet and steadied myself. The training hollow was filled with the disappointed looks of my clanmates. Martenleap, a large brownish-gold tom, stared at me resentfully. His dark red apprentice, Rustlepaw, sniffed around the clearing for catnip to chew. Sandpiper, a beautiful creamy tabby, and Gustpaw, a silver tom, were both watching me with sympathy.

I dragged myself next to Gustpaw, one of my best friends. "Do you need some cobwebs for those cuts?" he mewed.

I suppressed a sigh. Gustpaw was one of the two Health Advisor apprentices (Sandpiper was the other) and because of my history of injuries, I was frequently used as a test subject for his newly learned methods.

"Sure," I reluctantly agreed. What was I supposed to say?

"Okay!" Gustpaw's forest-green eyes glittered with newly acquired enthusiasm.

He picked up a wad of cobwebs from behind him and got to work on an ugly gash in my black tail. I felt his paws press down to stop the bleeding.

I licked the back of my paw and started to wash my face.

Martenleap stepped into the center of the clearing. "Alright, where did Batpaw go wrong?"

"He didn't fight back," Rustlepaw said.

"Well, no, he did fight back," Martenleap objected.

"But he fought like a dying insect," Screechpaw hissed.

Martenleap's tail swished the dirt in the training hollow from side to side. He was as bored and disinterested as his catnip-addicted apprentice.

"Screechpaw, your surprise attacks are very good," Twigfeather began, "Almost too good. Batpaw, you need to focus. Expect the unexpected. Especially from Screechpaw. Had she been an enemy, she could have taken you down."

Twigfeather's amber eyes met mine, "We've had enough practice today. Come on Batpaw, I'll show you some more moves later."

The pressure on my tail lifted. "Bye Batpaw," Gustpaw meowed.

"See you later," I replied. I waved my tail and followed my tortoiseshell mentor out of the clearing.

We padded briskly side by side out of the clearing. Our pace slowed as we got further away from the hollow. The tall trees glistened from last night's rain. It was newleaf, and almost every night now we would get refreshing showers. The moss on the trees was bright and lush. Young sprouts were beginning to cover the ground in a kind of springy grass.

Twigfeather purposely bumped into me and almost knocked me down.

"Hey! What was that for?" I yowled.

She didn't meet my eyes and for the first time I noticed how her claws dug deep into the ground. Something was wrong. "I need to talk to you now."

We swerved off our normal path and my curiosity grew with every step. What is she going to say? It's probably not good; I've never seen her like this. I know I'm not her favorite cat, but she wouldn't kill me like Sparrowhawk or Screechpaw would, right? I know if she does kill me, half the clan will throw a party.

"Here," she mewed curtly.

We sat down in unison on a particularly soft, grassy spot. A proud oak towered above us to provide shelter from the harsh mid-day sunlight.

Twigfeather's intense green-eyed stare made me squirm in my spot. Her stiff posture and serious aura was starting to creep me out too.

"So. . ." I began, trying to break the ice.

But there was no change in her expression.

Finally she took a deep breath and said, "You need to stop this whole weak, helpless kitten act."

I couldn't quite wrap my mind around what she was saying.

Her eyes burned with green fire in response to my. . .un-response.

"Get that stupid surprised look of your face before I claw it off. You know what I'm talking about."

I swallowed nervously as I began to catch her drift.

"Well?"

My heart sunk. "I'm not getting better you mean."

Twigfeather gritted her teeth, "Yes."

My heart pounded. I could lose my mentor if things went downhill quickly enough. Who would train me then? My brothers? My father? No, they couldn't stand me more than anyone else.

"What do we do?" I asked.

We? We? You think this is a problem about us? I'm doing my best to teach you what I know, but you're so difficult!"

"You mean I'm useless."

"You're not useless, Batpaw, you're just humiliating! You humiliate me every day! The only three things you actually excel at are cleaning up the camp, tree climbing, and making others mad. But whenever you don't bring back any prey for the clan, it reflects on _me._ Every time you fail assessment, it reflects on _me._" She snarled in frustration. "You just don't get it do you?" Twigfeather's eyes went distant for a moment and she let out an exasperated sigh. "When you get your first apprentice, something clicks inside of your heart. When I got assigned to you, I thought, 'Maybe I'll be the one.' I thought that I could change you, make you stronger, better, faster."

My mind instantly flashed back to that bittersweet day. I was lined up next to Gustpaw, Rustlepaw, and Screechpaw. We were all just kits then. I remember Dunestar calling my name. I looked up at her and saw how lithe and fit she was, how her golden tabby pelt sparkled like snow in the sun. Her eyes were as blue as magpie feathers. I wanted to be as respected as her some day.

My brothers Piedpelt and Puffytail were there, too. Their expressions were guarded and I couldn't tell what they were thinking. My father was nowhere to be seen. Twigfeather stepped face to face to me. The whole clan watching her take on her first apprentice. Her chest fluffed up with pride and groomed to perfection. Her eyes huge and bright green eyes glittered with excitement. Twigfeather cared about me then and still did now.

"You let me down Batpaw," her quiet mew tore me from my thoughts and battered me back to reality. The truth of her words hit me like a stone.

Terrible, sad silence echoed off the trees. I could hear blood pounding through my ears with each deep, resonant beat of my heart.

Twigfeather got on all fours. Her once plushy pelt was dirty and matted and her tail drooped like a dead leaf. "I'm going back to camp. You should see Roughtongue about those cuts." She silently padded away and left me alone with my thoughts.

I sat in that grassy clearing for a long time. Even as the others from the training hollow walked by. No one noticed how only Twigfeather's scent led back to camp. No one noticed my black pelt among the trees. No one could hear my fur ruffle in the wind or my self-loathing slowly killing me inside.

Night fell and the urge to move finally drove me to the edge of the lake.

Darkness covered the forest and made everything hard to see and the cloudy night sky made tonight especially difficult to travel in. Waves on the lake roughly licked the pebbly shore. Back and forth they went. Swoosh. Swoosh. Constant and never-ending. I craved the predictability, the stability, and the serenity the lake possessed. I wonder if I swim down far enough, could I find the answer to the lake's eternal peace? If I surrendered to the soft, caressing current, would the water's depths tell me the secret themselves?

I flopped down on a somewhat dry, sandy spot and didn't think about anything in particular. Just laid there and listened to the lake and the cool newleaf wind. The lullaby of wind rippling over the lake's surface eventually lulled me to sleep.

. . .

In my dream, I was lying in a field of lush, green grass that extended beyond the horizon. The greenleaf sun soaked into my pelt and warmed my skin. A few wispy clouds roosted at the top of the endless azure sky. A few tail-lengths away was a small pond surrounded by tall reeds. Everything was still and it was always what I imagined the afterlife would look like.

I got on to my paws and savored the awesomeness of Now.

A breeze whispered across the plain and softly called my name, "_Batpaw. Come to the water, Batpaw."_

I did what I was told and trotted eagerly to the water's edge. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the water was perfectly clear, like the moonpool Minkprowl talked about near ThunderClan camp. Shiny, bluish-gray pebbles covered the bottom of the shallow-pond. Five strangely patterned fish swam back and forth in a slow and relaxed fashion. The fish were covered in iridescent snowy-white scales and splashed with distinct orange and black splotches.

"Calico fish," I mused aloud.

Curiosity got the best of me and I slowly lowered my face to the pond. A cat stared back at me, a reflection identical to my own. His raven-black pelt was smooth and occasionally interrupted by long pink scars. Wedge-shaped ears that were too big for his body stood erect on the top of his head. Those, coupled with his large, owl-yellow eyes, made him look like a bat. It was easy to see where he got his name from.

The image rippled and I looked up from my reflection. A swan was gracefully gliding towards me. Its glacial-white feathers nearly blinded me, but I couldn't look away: it was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Its sinuous neck folded gracefully onto its back, drops of water twinkled like dew on its beak, and its eyes were a deep lavender color. Unusual, but lovely nonetheless.

A light appeared out of the corner of my eye and I turned my attention to it. A small section of the pond was glowing, brighter and brighter by the second. The slim silhouette of a cat stepped out of the light. For a moment I wondered if I were really dead.

The cat's starry form stepped closer to me. I was in too much shock to do anything, so I just sat there stupidly.

The form solidified and I focused on the figure. It was a she-cat: white with broad fawn-colored patches on her ear, neck, back, and tail-tip. Her soft, yellow eyes studied me intensely, working over every inch of my pelt. She seemed familiar somehow, but I couldn't quite put my paw on where I had seen her before.

"Hello Batpaw," the she-cat meowed. I didn't have any idea who this stranger was, but her voice comforted me immediately.

I know her! Somewhere, I've seen her! Even her scent was achingly familiar; the starry she-cat's identity was just beyond my reach.

"Do I know you?" I asked, curiosity edging my voice. My paws quivered anxiously.

Her expression softened and the tenderness in her patient eyes caught me by surprise. "Yes, my name is Fawnsteps," she purred lovingly.

I gasped, I knew that name. "Mother?"

"Yes," she said.

My mother was really here in front of me. I had never seen her before, but she bore an uncanny resemblance to me and my brother-Puffytail especially. All three of us had her smooth pelt. Puffytail had her exact coloring, Piedpelt had her spots, but only I had her yellow eyes.

It was wonderful to see my mother for the first time, but even her warm, relaxing aura could not kill the guilt that wallowed in my heart. It was my fault she was here and not curled up in the warriors den with Twigfeather, Sandpiper, or my brothers. It's all my fault.

Fawnsteps must have sensed my anguish because she gave me a comforting lick on the ear and pressed her fur against mine. "Don't be sad. Nothing that happened was your fault."

I wanted to believe her so badly, but my mind assaulted my heart with insults and memories. My father's disappointed green-eyed stare. Alienation from my clan members. The way cats looked at me when they talked about my mother. _"You'll never be anything!" _Screechpaw yowled raucously. _"He killed his mom," _Rustlepaw whispered to a RiverClan apprentice. _"You have Fawnsteps' eyes," _Dunestar told me.

"Batpaw, you must listen to me carefully," Fawnsteps' tone turned serious. "You are destined to recreate the world for everyone. You may not know it now my son, but you have powers beyond your wildest dreams."

"Huh." This seemed too good to be true. "Maybe this is all just a really nice dream," I wondered aloud.

"No," my mother hissed, "This is serious. You have been given gifts by authorities even higher than StarClan."

Were there cats beyond StarClan? "Higher than StarClan? What do you mean? What powers?"

She sighed. "I suppose you will find out soon enough. Just remember that you are one of two vessels who will decide the fate of not only your clan, but Earth as a whole."

She began to turn away, but I still had more questions and I wanted her around so I could learn what it meant to be loved. "Please don't go. . ." I mewed desperately and pitifully.

She turned back apologetically and I could tell by the look in her sad, yellow eyes that it was very likely that I would never see her again.

"I love you, Batpaw." With that, she jumped back into the shimmering pond.

I was alone again, accompanied by the grass, the swan, and the eternal sky.

The swan dipped its neck into the water, then came back up and honked at me. I noticed that it had acquired an unusual object in its beak. It was a twisted silver stick in the shape of a circle. There were six shiny, round stones on its edge. There were smaller sticks attached from each of the stones to the largest stone in the middle. A string was attached to the stick circle, big enough to put around a warriors neck. The central stone was purple, the same shade as the swan's eyes, and strange energy pulsed from it as though it were a living thing.

The swan looked up at me and my gaze with brilliant violet eyes.

. . .

A chilly breeze pierced my skin and woke me immediately. For a moment, the sound of the lake, and the cold sand beneath me-and in my cuts-had me mystified.

A rush of panic swept through my veins as realization set in. I am still at the lake. Crap, I need to get back to camp. I leapt up onto my paws, but the sound of thunder stopped me cold. I instinctively glanced at the sky, only to find that the clouds been brushed away. Moonlight cut through the night and reflected luminously off the dark lake surface. A bright swirly cluster known as Starpelt was distinctly visible.

I sensed the wolf before I saw him. My skin prickled and an icy sensation crept up my spine. He stood on a narrow spit of land that stuck out into the lake about 50 tail-lengths away. He was huge, twenty times as big as any warrior I have ever seen. His thick, black coat blended with the shadows, but his large pink tongue, loudly lapping water gave him away. He must have felt me gawking at him, because he brought his head up to stand at full height and stare intently at me. His large, sentient sky-blue eyes held calm emotion. I was willing to bet that he had never lost a fight in his life.

Fire melted the ice in my blood and told me to run. I cast one last glance at the wolf and saw-too late-that he had an unusual circular object around his neck with an ominous, glowing purple stone in the center.


	5. Chapter 2: Wolf

**Chapter 2**

_**Wolf**_

My muscles ached, but I kept on bounding over rocks, dodging brambles, until our dark brown deputy guarding the ThunderClan entrance came into sight.

"Tuggingbranch!"I caterwauled fearfully.

He jumped in place and his tired eyes widened to their full limit. "Oh! Batpaw there you are. What's wrong?"

"There's a wolf! A_ wolf _Tuggingbranch! In _our _territory!" I meowed between pants.

"_What?" _Tuggingbranch hissed in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! I'm positive!"

He ran through the entrance tunnel and let out an urgent caterwaul to wake the clan. I followed him through in time to see every clan cat pour out of their dens. Tuggingbranch was rapidly explaining everything to his mate Dunestar.

"Raaoow!" Screechpaw snarled from behind me. Sharp claws dug into my back and pushed me into the dirt. "What did you do?" Screechpaw demanded.

I didn't have a chance to answer because Dunestar called an emergency clan meeting. "Let all cats young and old gather beneath the highledge for a clan-meeting!" Dunestar expertly maneuvered herself on the tall, narrow gray stone overlooking the worried ThunderClan cats.

Gustpaw and Sandpiper moved the center of the group and Screechpaw abandoned me to join them. Rustlepaw, Sparrowhawk, and Twigfeather, were situated in a loose circle. Quickpounce, a yellow warrior, heard the commotion and scuttled in nervously from the dirt-place. Fishdive, a solid, blue tom cautiously led his ginger and white mate, Downypelt, and their two kits to the edge of the mob. Dipperkit, a brown she-cat with a white chest pranced proudly with her brother, Merlinkit, who was almost identical to his mother. They flicked their tails and squealed with excitement. Kits weren't usually allowed to attend clan meetings.

Dunestar cleared her throat and began, "I have received word from our deputy that a wolf has been spotted in camp."

My pelt bristled with uneasiness as the entire camp burst into a mass of anxiety. Fretful whispers echoed around camp, murmurs and opinions were exchanged between cats.

Our Spiritual Advisor, Minkprowl, spoke out, "Who reported it?"

Dunestar nodded to her mate. "Batpaw," Tuggingbranch said.

Shudders of confusion and disappointment took over camp: "What?" Twigfeather hissed. "Batpaw? Really?" Sparrowhawk snorted. Minkprowl stayed silent in response to Tuggingbranch's answer. His pale yellow eyes were exhausted, and it was obvious that he wasn't getting enough sleep. Worst of all, he just stared at me like he had been expecting this for some time. On the opposite side of the group our black-pelted health advisor, Roughtongue, sat calmly, tail over paws. His emotionless eyes burned into my skin as he blankly observed his failure of a son. I met his gaze, but received nothing. Like looking into two frozen green stones.

"Silence!" Dunestar commanded. Order fell over us once again, but the bitter taste of fear was thick in the air. "This is serious. If there really is a wolf in camp, then we will have to take extreme precautions." The golden tabby's dark blue eyes scanned the group for any who dared to oppose. "Tuggingbranch, will you choose four cats to patrol the area where Batpaw saw the wolf?"

"Yes."

"Batpaw, you will be coming too of course," Dunestar warned.

"Okay!" Tuggingbranch took charge. "Martenleap, Sparrowhawk, Puffytail, and Twigfeather, will you go on the patrol?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"What shall the rest of us do?" Fishdive inquired, obviously thinking about his family's safety.

"All other cats are to guard the nursery and stay within camp boundaries until our survey has been complete and the result of our search has announced," Dunestar ordered.

Downypelt rushed her kits into the nursery with Fishdive close on their tails.

Rustlepaw, Piedpelt (who looked rather unhappy to not be included in the patrol), Sandpiper, and Gustpaw agreed to guard the camp whilst everyone else got adequate sleep. Though, with a wolf around, I doubt anyone would sleep peacefully. Quickpounce and Roughtongue started to repair and improve the brambly camp wall to increase security. Minkprowl went back to his den, but not without shooting one more curious glance in my direction.

"Patrol! Move out!" Dunestar and Tuggingbranch led us out of camp into the unknown. It suddenly hit me that I may never come back here again.

. . .

The seven of us crept stealthily through the forest. The tall trees and jagged branches seemed strangely sinister. Each fern that wavered in the wind, every dead leaf on the ground was an enemy that could give us away. The tenseness rubbing off our pelts threatened to echo off the trees and alert the mysteries lying wait in the shadows.

A cool breeze swept over us and I knew we'd reached the lake.

"Is this where you saw it?" Tuggingbranch whispered in my ear.

"No," I replied, equally quiet. I led them over to the spit of land and Twigfeather appeared alongside me.

"Are you sure it wasn't just a dog?" She questioned me.

"Absolutely positive. It was_ huge_."

I slowed to a snail's pace as we neared the spit.

"Ugh!" Martenleap snarled.

A smell drifted to my nostrils and I shook my head in protest. It wasn't that the smell was bad, just the intensity of it was overwhelming. It was the most powerful thing I had ever smelled. Pine and thunderpath mingled with the dominant scent of fresh-kill and canines. The smell was like that of a dog's, only more wild and dangerous.

"That's wolf alright," Sparrowhawk hissed gruffly.

"We should follow the scent to see if it wandered off our territory," Twigfeather suggested.

"But what if following the trail leads us to the wolf?" Martenleap advised as he shivered in place.

We all considered that for a moment, but the vote to protect our clan was unanimous. Dunestar spoke what we were all thinking, "I know that that is a concern to you Martenleap, but Twigfeather is right, we need to make sure our territory is safe."

So our group of seven quickly followed the trail up a forested slope of our territory until we reached the ShadowClan border. Pigeon bones and feathers were scattered on the border and a tuft of black fur was caught on the low-hanging branch of a pine.

"I hope ShadowClan doesn't blame us for this," Twigfeather sighed.

"At least it's off our territory," Sparrowhawk acknowledged.

Dunestar and Tuggingbranch still weren't at ease. "But now, unless the wolf is totally gone from the lake area, it's everyone's problem," Tuggingbranch added. He exchanged a concerned glance with his mate.

"Do we go further?" I asked.

"No," Dunestar said, carefully examining the mess of light gray feathers, "We can announce this at the Gathering tomorrow, but for now, we need to get back to camp."

Nobody argued, and we all kept up with Dunestar she bolted as fast as the wind back to camp.

. . .

When we got back to camp, Dunestar announced that the trail had gone over the ShadowClan border. We all had to keep an eye-and a nose-out for signs of the intruding beast. Dunestar also said that there had to be three cats guarding camp at all times instead of just one. The inseparable trio, Sandpiper, Rustlepaw, and his brother Gustpaw volunteered to guard for the first night.

I settled down in the apprentice's den as far away from Screechpaw as possible. I lie awake for a while, listening to the sounds of the three guards walking back and forth as they kept our clan safe. After some time, the camp fell silent. The occasional snore or toss and turn of a cat made me prick my ears, but other than that, only the sound of the breeze stirring the forest canopy prevailed.

I thought about the strange, circular silver stick and the haunting energy that I felt pulsing off the stone. I remember how the violet sphere lit the wolf's dark fur. The wolf, that was the image stuck in my head. I tried to sleep, but the look in the huge, black creature's intelligent sky-blue eyes as he studied me kept coming back into my mind_. Could wolves and dogs think like us?_ I wondered. _Did they have normal thoughts and opinions as cats did? _

I had gotten stuck in a tree with Twigfeather once, many moons ago, when a dog had treed us. Back then it didn't look or sound like they had emotion. All I heard were its loud, angry barks. I only saw its pointed yellow teeth and its tiny, brown eyes that hungered for my flesh.

But this wolf changed everything. He could have eaten me if he wanted to, but he chose not to. A question burned in his strangely blue eyes, like he had wanted to ask me something. And that was the other thing! Wolves aren't supposed to have_ blue_ eyes right? I had heard from a wise elder at a Gathering, Windswept was his name, that wolves had golden eyes like oriole wings. Why was this one different?

Somehow, that encounter had changed something. I could feel it in my spirit, my soul. Was this part of StarClan's plan?


	6. Chapter 3: Black Aurora

**Chapter 3**

_**Black Aurora**_

__Dunestar stood on the high-ledge to announce who would be attending the Gathering. "All right! May I have everyone's attention please?" A hush fell over camp and Dunestar continued, "Thank you. As you all know, the Gathering is tonight, so the following cats will attend: Tuggingbranch, Minkprowl, Piedpelt, Twigfeather, Sandpiper, Gustpaw, Screechpaw, and Batpaw. All those who have had their name called, please be here at sun-down. Thank you, that is all." Dunestar leapt of the highledge and curled up next to her mate to share a plump blackbird.

Gustpaw, Sandpiper, and Rustlepaw moved to the shade and started to murmur excitedly amongst themselves. Rustlepaw was a bit sore about not being able to go, but he had gone to the last one-the same one I had attended-so it was okay. Screechpaw calmly joined their trio, nose up and tail high, to brag to Rustlepaw.

I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I noticed how Rustlepaw's tail twitched like a fish out of water. His whiskers were quivering mischievously and my over-sized ears caught a slight purr of satisfaction. Screechpaw also caught on and stopped her high-and-mighty speech, but it was too late.

Rustlepaw caterwauled and launched himself at Screechpaw who yowled in surprise. They hissed and tumbled in a mass of red and tortoiseshell fur. Screechpaw batted the side of Rustlepaw's head and knocked him off balance. She quickly took advantage of the moment to bowl him over and pin him down. Rustlepaw struggled beneath Screechpaw, but her expertly placed weight kept him on his back.

"Ha!" Screechpaw yowled in victory. "I have successfully defeated my opponent and will proudly take the title of Screechstar! Leader of ThunderClan!"

Gustpaw and Sandpiper purred with laughter. A few warriors turned their attention for a second, but decided that the melodramatic apprentice wasn't worth it, though Dipperkit and Merlinkit were happily enjoying the action.

The defeated red apprentice finally wriggled his way out from under Screechpaw, who was fluffed up with unwavering arrogance, and shook the dirt off his pelt. Rustlepaw snorted. "Dream on Screech_paw._ Besides, everyone knows that _I'm _going to be leader."

"Maybe. But only if you get all that catnip out of your brain," Screechpaw purred as she brushed her tail against his side.

Sandpiper and Gustpaw "mrrowed" with laughter as Rustlepaw rolled his eyes.

Screechpaw's eyes met with Rustlepaw's and a silent, "I'm just kidding," passed between them. She was so nice to Rustlepaw, I had a feeling that they would be more than just friends in the future.

Gustpaw's green eyes caught hold of me. "Hey Batpaw! Come join us!"

I blinked in surprise. Sandpiper, Rustlepaw, and Screechpaw looked just as confused as I felt. No one usually called me over to join anything. No one except Gustpaw and Twigfeather, that is. "Okay," I meowed back, sounding more confident than I felt.

I padded over to my clanmates and comfortably situated myself next to Gustpaw. Screechpaw didn't look so happy about me being there, but her scuffle with Rustlepaw had put her in a good mood.

"So, you guys excited about the Gathering?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Gustpaw meowed.

"Always," Sandpiper agreed.

Rustlepaw sighed, "Next time, I guess."

"Dunestar definitely didn't let as many cats go this time, she probably wants the best warriors to stay behind in case there's any sign of the wolf," said Sandpiper.

We all nodded in agreement. Mention of the wolf stirred up a bit of unease, but we quickly pushed the thought away.

Screechpaw whispered something into Rustlepaw's ear before saying, "Rustlepaw and I are going hunting, see you later." They stood up in unison and continued out the camp entrance.

Roughtongue's deep voice sounded from within the Health Advisor's den. "Gustpaw! Sandpiper! I have an assignment for you two!"

Gustpaw growled and rolled onto his back, "It's the middle of the day, it's hot, I'm tired."

Sandpiper forced herself up and out of the shade. The harsh sunlight gleamed of her creamy pelt. "Let's go Gustpaw. Sorry we had to leave you so soon Batpaw."

I shrugged, "Nah, it's okay."

"Bye Batpaw," Gustpaw mewed.

"Bye Gustpaw."

They trotted side by side towards their mentor's den.

And there I was, in the middle of camp, alone. Again. "I'm starting to notice a pattern here," I grumbled to myself. Since there was no one around, I did what every clan cat did when there was nothing to do: I went to hunt. The fresh-kill pile was looking a little low anyway, only a vole and a sparrow remained.

I made sure to go in the opposite direction of Rustlepaw's and Screechpaw's scent, which led me in the WindClan (southeast) direction.

My ears were pricked forward to capture any vibrations. I opened my mouth to taste the wind and let my whiskers feel the breeze for my next victim.

It was mid-day, so not much was out and about. I could hear the movement of voles deep in their burrows, but not much else. Eventually, I came to the lakeside.

The sun's rays twinkled joyfully upon the lake's surface. Two ducks flew with their bellies a mouse-tail from brushing the water. A chaffinch warbled from behind me and filled the forest with its sweet melody. The clean-smelling breeze of newleaf wisped across my black fur. Only a couple clouds floated lazily in the sky's bright blue pelt. I could faintly make out the silhouette of a kestrel high in the air.

l wondered what it was like to fly. If I could fly, I would go everywhere, soaring over mountains and moors from here to the sun-drown place, letting my whiskers run freely through the soft, fluffy clouds. Today would be the perfect day for it, too! Best of all, I would be free. Free of the rigors of clan life. Free of the expectations and demands of being a warrior. Free of the destiny my mother spoke of.

I don't know what powers she was talking about, but I sometimes thought about what they could be. The power to lead a clan? Find a miraculous new herb? Maybe I would find the way to a new home like Bramblestar did so many generations ago. I shook off the thought. All in good time, I figured.

A flurry of wings sounded from behind me. I whipped my head around and listened intently. The faint scratching of bird claws against bark was detectable. A small greenish-yellow bird flitted into view. It had a large white patch on its cheek and grayish wings, it was a tit. The plump little bird's head and throat were black, and in its thick, conical beak, a fat pink worm wriggled in vain.

I crouched low and followed its progress down the tree's limb. When the tit approached a brown mass of sticks and twigs, little chirps and cheeps echoed off the leaves. A nest no doubt. With three, no, two chicks. The tit flew away and I seized the opportunity to hunt.

I bunched up my muscles and sprang up the tree trunk. Skillfully using my tail for balance, I carefully leapt from branch to branch until I reached the level of the nest. I maneuvered around a mesh of twigs and followed the tantalizing scent of prey.

I peeked into the nest and saw the two pink figures sleeping closely in the tight space. Their eyes weren't even open yet. For a moment I felt bad about killing young, but I had to feed my clan. Besides, Merlinkit and Dipperkit would enjoy the treat.

I took the nestlings and made my way back to camp. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep the kits satisfied for a while.

I kept busy for the rest of the day by hunting and guarding the camp with Fishdive and Twigfeather.

. . .

A luminous orange glow filled the forest with radiance and excitement that had not been felt for a moon. By the time all nine cats who were going to the Gathering assembled, a striking indigo was descending on the horizon. Despite the dominant sunlight, a few triumphant stars twinkled in the north.

"Is everybody here?" Dunestar called from the head of the group.

"Yes!" a few replied.

She did a count and nodded to herself. "Okay! Let's go!"

Night was swiftly approaching, so we briskly trotted through our territory and over the RiverClan border.

An island came into view and excitement filled the gaps between each cat.

Gustpaw's silver form neared me. "Isn't this exciting? Our second Gathering! I wonder who will be here this time." His tail tip twitched anxiously and his enthusiasm sunk through my pelt. My heart beat harder against my chest. The adrenaline pumped within my veins, especially as we came to the tree-bridge. Unless you were RiverClan and loved the water, crossing the tree-bridge could be a nerve-racking experience.

Dunestar and Tuggingbranch calmly crossed the bridge, but the rest of us nervously followed, wary of the water idling below our paws like a pack of hungry dogs just waiting for us to fall into their reach. We relaxed as soon as everyone safely made it over. ThunderClan dispersed to socialize with other cats.

The islet was small and skinny trees were scattered all over. RiverClan and ShadowClan already mingled in the grassy clearing in the very center of the islet. Their eyes grazed over our pelts as we entered and the scrutinous examination made some of us, like Screechpaw, a bit uneasy.

The ShadowClan and RiverClan leaders sat proudly, tail over paws, on the lofty trees at the far side of the clearing. Swoopstar was ShadowClan's golden-furred leader. He looked particularly tense tonight and I wondered if it was because of the wolf. RiverClan's young she-cat leader was the picture of beauty. Tidestar's luxurious blue pelt shone with good health, her aquamarine eyes looked down on us confidently.

I recognized a few cats from last time. RiverClan's deputy, a gray-spotted tabby name Whirlpool, was mingling with Shrikehunt, ShadowClan's gray and black deputy, and two ShadowClan warriors I didn't recognize.

I leaned over to Sandpiper and Gustpaw. "Who are they?"

Sandpiper replied, "The blackish-brown tom is Mottlednose and the dull brown female is Hoppingwren." She said the last warrior's name with particular distaste. Obviously she wasn't a big fan of Hoppingwren. "Screechpaw is talking to Minnowpaw, the gray one, and Violetpaw, the lilac one."

The two RiverClan she-cats were having a heated conversation with our own tortoiseshell apprentice.

"Twigfeather's talking to Ripplefur, the golden-brown tom."

"What's with his pelt?" Gustpaw asked.

Ripplefur's curious glossy golden-brown coat was curled tightly in wavy rows across his body, especially on his back. I focused intently on Sandpiper as she responded.

"Ripplefur is an anomaly." Sandpiper admired him and got a distant look in her eyes. _A hot anomaly._

"What did you say?" I asked in surprise.

Sandpiper gave me a weird look. "I said that Ripplefur's an anomaly."

"I know that! But then you said 'He's a hot anomaly.'"

Sandpiper opened her mouth in shock and her eyes widened.

"What? How did yo-?"

"Batpaw what are you talking about?" Gustpaw's round green eyes glittered with worry.

"I-uhh." StarClan, am I going insane?

"Oh!" Someone gasped. "WindClan is here!"

We turned our attention to the tree-bridge. A huge black tom with a white blaze on his face was leading WindClan to the island.

"That's weird," I heard Piedpelt's voice from somewhere in the crowd, "Where's Tabbystar?"

Boltstripe, the big black tom, took his place on one of the tall trees. Hushed murmurs and exclamations rippled across the islet. It was official, Tabbystar was dead.

A crowd formed around a small, brown tabby she-cat, Qualflight of WindClan, and she sadly began to explain that a sickness had taken Tabbystar's last life and Boltstripe was now Boltstar and she was now the new deputy of WindClan.

Dunestar's yowl echoed across the island, "Now that all the clans are present, the Gathering may commence!"

Tidestar cleared her throat and began, "RiverClan is proud to announce that we have been blessed with kits this moon. Prey runs very well and the new-leaf rains has made the river swell to almost twice its normal size. And I see that WindClan has a new leader tonight." Tidestar flicked her tail to Boltstar.

"Yes," Boltstar said, "Tabbystar unfortunately lost his last life a few days ago." He paused and took a deep breath. "I am now Boltstar, leader of ShadowClan and Quailflight has been appointed as the new deputy."

Everyone turned their attention to Quailflight, and the little brown she-cat shrunk under the curious gaze of all the cats.

"Also," he continued, "we have two new apprentices here tonight: Wispypaw and Marbledpaw."

Two tiny she-cats sat together in the center of the feline crowd. A gray she-cat with swirly tabby patterns on her side proudly puffed her chest. The other white, fluffy apprentice was somewhat shyer.

Boltstar looked expectantly at Dunestar. Our golden tabby leader's blue eyes scanned the crowd."Prey is also running well for ThunderClan and soon we will have more apprentices. But on a more serious note, I would like to warn you about a wolf that was spotted on the lake shore only yesterday."

A feeling of shock came over me as worried meows and fearful gasps could be heard from every corner of the island. The bitter tang of fear was suspended in the air. Most of the ShadowClan cats stayed quiet. Though their hackles rose and their claws dug into the ground, I got the feeling that they already knew about the sighting.

"Dunestar, you found signs of the wolf, too?" Swoopstar queried.

"Yes. One of our apprentices spotted it near the lake and we traced the scent to your territory," Dunestar replied, "Have you had any serious problems?"

"No, not besides a dead pigeon here and there. But we also suspect that a dog may be travelling with it or hanging around in the same area."

"There's a dog, too?" Tidestar yowled in surprise. "This is terrible!"

"We're almost certain that it will pass through, but still, everyone please take precautions!" Swoopstar advised.

"Who says the wolf even exists?" A harsh snarl ripped through the clearing.

Everything fell silent.

Screechpaw spoke again, "You all know Batpaw right? Scrawny, black, yellow-eyed, _useless_." She glared at me hatefully. "I don't know how you could've done it Batpaw, but it worked pretty well."

My pelt bristled in fury. "What are you suggesting?"

"You're lying."

"Why would I lie about a wolf? Besides, both ShadowClan and ThunderClan confirmed the sighting!"

"ShadowClan said they only _scented_ the wolf, not saw it. This is all a game to you. Trying to see if you can scare everybody into believing you and giving you attention, because nobody likes you." Her threatening hiss dared me to attack her, but I held back. One wrong move, and Screechpaw could prove her point. I don't know where she got this crazy idea, but I wouldn't let her be right. Our eyes locked together and we bared our teeth at each other.

"Ever since you were born, you've been ignored, and you just wanted to prove that you still mattered. You lie, you play games, but you can't trick me."

Blood pounded in my ears. The heat of rage raced through my veins. The night was cool, but I was on fire. I wanted to kill. I wanted to hear Screechpaw scream for mercy. I wanted her blood to stain the ground red. I want her to feel my pain, my hatred, my regret. I was so focused, so intent on ending her that even though her mouth didn't move, I heard Screechpaw speak.

_Attack me you pathetic kit. Let's end this._

Then she uttered those words, "You killed your mother."

I snapped. "NO!" Terrifying screams came from behind me. Growls, snarls, shrieks, and every other terrible noise you can think was heard in that instant.

A look of absolute horror replaced Screechpaw's arrogant expression.

Panic stained the air and a dark purple mist materialized and stung my eyes. "Aahh!" I yowled in pain. Almost every cat on the island broke into a hysterical tantivy away from _me_. All the leaders except Dunestar leapt off the trees and caterwauled for their clans to follow.

Gustpaw was frozen in fear. He stared at something behind me. I whipped around and saw it. A black shadow loomed over me and consumed every ray of light in reach of it. The ghostly eyes of animals appeared and disappeared from within the blackness. A fox, a lion, and a badger snickered and smirked at the panicked cats bolting away from them.

"Stop this!" I snarled at them.

They stopped immediately. The animals' eyes stared intently at me. It eventually hit me that they were waiting for something: a command.

"Who are you?" I asked.

An eerie, reverberating growl, a combination of all the animals' voices responded, "We are the shadows. We have waited for your awakening, for the revelation of your power."

"Why are you here?"

"To serve you."

I tried to swallow that thought. "Why have you only chosen to show yourself now?"

"We were not the ones who chose."

I shivered. It was a disturbing voice, and all the creepy animal eyes didn't help the fact that I had an arsenal of shadows at my command sit any easier with me either. "You mean this was my fault?"

"Not a fault. An endowment you do not understand. Nor can you yet comprehend what you are capable of."

"What I'm capable of? You mean there's more than just you?" I immediately thought of Screechpaw and Sandpiper: how I heard their thoughts though no actual words had been vocally expressed. "Can you tell me what else there is?"

"No," the shadow replied regretfully.

"I thought you were here to serve me!"

"Yes. All in good time, She says. She says we must not reveal to you any more or the course of history could be altered."

"Who is 'She'? You mean my mother?"

"No, the higher spirit."

The higher spirits, Fawnsteps had spoken of them. As soon as I thought of my mother, I lost focus and the shadow disappeared. A painful ache turned my muscles to stone and stole my energy. I collapsed and Gustpaw loyally came to my side.

"B-Batpaw?" he stammered.

I was too tired to respond. My ears started ringing and the last thing I heard were Dunestar, Twigfeather, and Minkprowl rushing to my side. My tired yellow eyes rolled back and the last thing I saw was the moon with a slick, black water even darker than the night sky, shimmering and dancing in front of it.


	7. Chapter 4: Apprenticed Again

**I know I've taken a long time to post this chapter, thank you for your patience :)**

**A shout out to 123Bramblepelt123, Aroeheart, Shiningspirit, and Maia Ronan for reviewing! I really appreciate it 3**

**Also, Aroeheart, in response to your question: yes, the Medicine Cat has been split into the Health Advisor and the Spiritual Advisor.**

**These names in the following chapter are pronounced thusly- Kiva: _kee_va; Yakel: yaw-_kel; _Janzi: john-zee; Ranul: hra-nool (roll the r).**

**...**

**Chapter 4**

_**Apprenticed Again**_

A green car idled on the small thunderpath next to ShadowClan territory. The windows were slightly open but the deep breath of a sleeping red and white she-dog fogged the glass. A bald, pink cat curled up on a red plaid jacket in the driver's seat. The song _Poker Face _was playing softly on the radio.

A huge black wolf loped towards the car. His pace wasn't rushed, but the news he carried was urgent. The wolf propped his forepaws on the back window and peered in at his mate.

"Kiva," he whispered.

The she-dog flicked her ear and stirred. On her neck she wore a necklace that had six jewels of various colors along a silver circle with a glowing purple stone in its center.

"Baby, open the door, I got to tell you something," the wolf barked quietly.

Kiva whined, "Is it dawn already?"

"No, not yet," he replied.

Kiva pushed her liver-colored nose under the lock on the door and nudged it up. The door clicked and the wolf effortlessly pulled on the door handle using his teeth.

The fog on the window faded as it came into contact with the crisp spring air. The she-dog shivered at the change in temperature.

The bald cat snarled in irritation. His furless skin wasn't equipped with the protection necessary for even modest climates. "It's frickin' cold," he complained. Like the wolf and the dog, he had a glowing purple stone too, except his was slightly smaller and he kept it around his wrist.

He got no response from the two canines. Their muzzles pressed together in greeting and they licked each other lovingly. Despite being mates for many moons, their tails still wagged rapidly after not being together for a few hours.

"You know Yakel," the bald cat's slick, sarcastic voice came again, "I never thought that travelling with an insomniac could be annoying, but it is."

"Cool it Janzi," Kiva warned.

Yakel, not at all ruffled by Janzi's impatience, responded, "I'm not an insomniac, I'm nocturnal."

A sly look spread across Kiva's face, "Not that that's a bad thing," she growled suggestively.

They nuzzled affectionately and Janzi groaned in aversion.

"You had something _important _to tell us?" he hissed, his emerald eyes narrowed as he awaited Yakel's report.

"Oh, yeah," the black wolf's vivid blue eyes glittered with excitement as he recalled the scene on the tiny islet on the lake, "I found the vessel!"

"What?" Kiva started. Her red ears pricked forward and her amber eyes widened in shock. "How? Where?" She jumped out of the car and joined her mate on the side of the road. Janzi in turn, took the she-dog's place on the warm backseat.

"I heard the forest cats making a commotion and I decided to check it out. They were having a meeting or something, but anyway, it turns out that one of them is the vessel!" Yakel licked his lips with joy and continued, "Just a scrawny little black tom, but he warped the shadow! Like Ranul can!"

"Yes!" Kiva howled in ebullience, "Baby you found him! One down, one to go!"

"Has Ranul given a sign?" Janzi asked.

Yakel glanced over his shoulder beyond the pines, "Look at the sky."

All three of them stared in awe at the black, oil-like ribbon of darkness that swayed in front of the silver moon.

"The black aurora," Kiva gasped incredulously.

The unsatisfied feline lashed his pink tail back and forth, "Alright, but how do you propose we catch the little bastard?"

Both Yakel and Janzi's attention turned to Kiva, it was apparent that she was always the one with a plan.

"Well, we still don't know exactly what he's capable of, so we'll need to watch him for a few days."

"We don't _have _a few days," Janzi contradicted, "It's only two weeks 'til the solar eclipse and when all the elements are aligned, _both _vessels need to be there."

"I'm well aware of that!" Kiva snapped in frustration. There was a great deal pressure to execute the arduous task before them and it was starting to stress her out." It's a loss, yes, but we have to know what it is that we're dealing with here, so, we have to play stalker for a while."

This time, nobody disagreed with her.

"How long do you think we'll need?" Yakel questioned.

"I'll know when the time comes," she began, "And when it does, we need to act quickly."

. . .

My head was pounding with a dull ache. I felt more exhausted than I ever had before.

"Look Roughtongue! He's awakening!" A high-pitched voice echoed within and clawed at my raw nerves. "I'm going to give him some poppy seeds." I thought I heard worry, but that could've been my throbbing brain playing tricks on me.

"No, first feverfew." Another gruffer, hollower voice rung through my conscience.

"But, Roughtongue, I can _hear_ his heart rate! We need to bring it down."

"Gustpaw, you have to look closer. Batpaw's eyes are shut in pain, his nose and pads are clammy with sweat, and he's quickly heating up. You can give Batpaw poppy seeds later, but he has _fever _so he needs _feverfew._"

My whiskers twitched at the sensation of leaves pushing at my mouth.

"Eat this," a young voice mewed.

It tried to open my mouth, but it was hard.

"He's too weak," the youthful voice responded.

"Induce a swallowing reaction."

A paw gently nudged the tasteless leaves onto my tongue and shut my mouth. The smooth side of an unsheathed claw rubbed my throat.

_Gulp. _I swallowed immediately.

A cool, soothing stream flowed through my blood. I felt my body tingle as the plant took effect. My muscles unclenched and the tightness in my head began to ease. As my breathing slowed, I sighed with pleasure. My focus returned and I slowly opened my eyes.

Everything was a grayish blur at first, but I blinked a few times to clear my vision. I was in Roughtongue's den. It was bigger than usual, or it looked that way because I was lying down. The cracks along the edge of the wall were stuffed and freshly stocked with herbs. The green foliage, white cobwebs, pink borage flowers, yellow marigold, and purple lavender added delightful splashes of color to the otherwise drab den.

Gustpaw sat proud and dignified at my side. "How do you feel?"

"I'm. . .tired," I croaked.

My silver companion purred with relief. "You've been out for a whole day. We tried to wake you when we came home on the morning after the Gathering, but I guess what happened really drained your energy."

Memories of the shadows' ghostly yellow eyes made me shudder. A few questions that were been sitting in the back of my mind had the sudden urge to spring to my throat.

"What happened exactly?" The harshness of my voice surprised me and for the first time in my life, I reminded myself of Roughtongue.

"Well, as soon as that. . ._thing _disappeared, you blacked out on the island. Tuggingbranch had to carry you back home."

"Tuggingbranch? Really? I didn't see him."

"Huh. He must've come only after you fainted."

"Why isn't Sandpiper helping you?"

"Well," Gustpaw's green eyes darkened and he shifted uncomfortably in place, "She-. She's afraid of you. No offense Batpaw, but lots of cats are. . ." His voice dropped below a whisper and an awkward silence stirred between us.

"I don't blame them," I said finally.

Gustpaw met my gaze sympathetically, but said nothing.

"At the Gathering, did you hear what the shadow said?" I inquired with great curiosity.

Gustpaw's expression lightened a little and he cocked his head to the side. "Shadow? It has a name then?"

"Um," I thought of that for a second, "Sort of. I just call it 'the shadow'."

"Actually, I was so scared out of my mind I couldn't really focus on anything," Gustpaw chuckled.

"But you stayed," I mewed incredulously.

"Of course I did! You're my best friend." Gustpaw's rich green eyes glowed brightly.

Elation filled me like never before. I had a _best _friend.

Minkprowl walked through the vines hanging at the entrance of the den. "Batpaw! You're awake! How do you feel?"

"Fine," I replied.

"Can you stand?" He pressed on.

"That's a good question," I wondered aloud.

I tried to get up, but my head buzzed and a daze came over me.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Minkprowl assured me.

Normally I would have listened to him, but the night of the Gathering had changed me somehow. I could feel determination and passion for dominance that hadn't been there before.

I persevered through the dizziness and forced myself to my paws. My head pulsed with pain and my sense of balance was atrocious. I stumbled multiple times, though I eventually steadied myself.

"I can stand," I said confidently.

Minkprowl's pale yellow eyes were brimming with curiosity, "Dunestar wants to talk to you."

"Alright."

The three of us stepped out of Health Advisor's den. I flinched as the searing mid-day sun burned through my raven-black pelt right to my skin. My eyes narrowed to slits as I squinted against the harsh golden rays.

As soon as I set foot out of the den, I could feel the gazes of each individual clan cat on me like thorns on a bramble bush.

My fur was clumped for some reason and I shook with discomfort.

"What's up with my pelt?" I asked Gustpaw.

"It rained really hard when we came back. Actually, it's been raining really hard ever since the Gathering. Strange how hot it is now though," Gustpaw mused."Oh, and also, Tuggingbranch accidentally tripped onto a tree, so a bunch of sap got stuck on you."

Dunestar was already waiting outside of her den. "Ah, Batpaw. How are you doing?" I caught a fleeting glimpse of motherly concern in her eyes. Sometimes I forgot that she had nursed me after Fawnsteps passed. I never thought of her as a parent and I don't think she thought of me as a son, but maybe there was a fondness left over from the closeness we had in my early days of my kithood.

"Fine, thank you."

Dunestar's energy turned serious. "We need to talk."

I followed her into the den while Gustpaw and Minkprowl waited outside.

I calmly padded into our leader's den. It was shady and just as large as the Health Advisor's den.

Dunestar sat tall in the center of her den. Her expectant dark blue eyes examined me thoroughly. "Two nights ago at the Gathering something happened. You remember right?"

I nodded, "Yes Dunestar."

"What exactly did you do?"

"I'm not quite sure myself," I admitted. I couldn't help but bristle as I continued, "I just got so mad and something-I don't know what exactly-switched inside of me." My claws dug into the floor as I recalled Screechpaw.

That bitch. She would pay. Fire coursed through my veins but cruel, icy thoughts filled my mind.

My heart twinged as the passion for revenge overtook me.

Dunestar's eyes widened and she gasped, "Batpaw! Control yourself!"

Only then did I notice that the shade in the den was rippling and warping my vision.

I forced myself to calm down.

"Dunestar, I'm so sorry! I, I don't know what came over me, I didn't mean it!" I stammered. I couldn't let the leader's trust in me falter!

"Batpaw," she said almost breathlessly, "_That_ is the trigger! _That _is what sets you off!"

"What?" I felt slightly stupid not sharing this sudden realization with her. But honestly, I was lost.

"Your anger! Don't you see? You've been so composed until the Gathering, but then you let yourself go and that's what did it!" Dunestar's eyes were both excited and afraid at the same time. "Have you had any visions from StarClan?"

"Yes! My mother came to me!" A kit-like joy bubbled within me.

"Fawnsteps?" Dunestar confirmed.

I nodded vigorously.

"What did she say?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught on my tongue. "She said I was 'a vessel'. One of two. She said I had powers beyond my wildest dreams and. . ." A lump formed in my throat as I struggled to say the last few words, "She said she loved me." My shoulders drooped and my wedge-shaped ears fell to the side. I wished I'd stayed unconscious.

Dunestar set her golden tabby paw on mine."Hey, it's alright."

I took in a deep breath, shoved my sadness away, and composed myself. "Yeah."

"What kind of powers did she mean?"

"I can summon the shadow."

A strange expression crossed Dunestar's face, "The 'shadow'? It has a name?"

"Sort of."

"Can you do anything else?" She searched further.

"I can kind of hear thoughts."

Dunestar was shocked. "_Are you serious?"_

"Yeah, but I'm not sure how it works," I asserted, "For one, I need to be really focused on the cat. There's another restriction too, but I can't quite put my paw on what it is."

Dunestar shook her head in disbelief. "That's amazing."

"Also, you remember how everyone scattered after I made the shadow appear?"

"Of course."

"It was really weird, but I think I saw their panic."

Dunestar was absolutely blown away. "We have to assign you a new mentor immediately."

That was a shock.

"What about Twigfeather?" I opposed.

"We've already made arrangements to assign her to Dipperkit once she gets apprenticed next moon," Dunestar assured me.

"Oh," I felt relieved, "She'd like that." It was true, I was frustrating enough as it was before two nights ago. These new found abilities weren't going to make things any easier.

Dunestar stormed out of her den and I followed, before I even got out I heard her caterwaul, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey please gather under the highledge for a clan meeting!"

All of ThunderClan-except Downypelt and her kits-stopped what they were doing and rushed to the center of camp.

"Minkprowl and Batpaw, can you come here please?" She motioned us onto the highledge with her tail.

Minkprowl shot a wistful at the fresh vole in his paws, before tossing it to the side and joining us.

Since my apprenticeship had been over four moons ago, it was my first time on the highledge.

Minkprowl looked just as confused as I was.

Dunestar spoke to the clan, "Batpaw has spoken to StarClan!"  
Gasps of surprise came from many of the cats. Gustpaw's silver form stuck out among the crowd. Interest glowed faintly in the deep, green depths of my father's eyes, a rare sight. Twigfeather glanced behind her at the nursery: probably thinking about Dipperkit. I also spotted Sandpiper, Rustlepaw, and Screechpaw at the very back of the congregation.

I tried to ignore the nagging desire to murder Screechpaw and so I kept my eyes on Minkprowl's white throat.

"Following the tradition of our ancestors before us, Batpaw will now become the Spiritual Advisor's apprentice to learn the ways of divine communication. Minkprowl," Dunestar's eyes settled on the dark brown tom, "will you take Batpaw as your apprentice and promise to pass on your knowledge to him as well as teach him the ways of a noble warrior?"

"I will," Minkprowl said, still stunned.

"And Batpaw, will you promise to devote yourself to the ways of a Spiritual Advisor and take on the responsibilities that come with this position?"

"I will."

"Then let StarClan look upon these two cats today to accept this new apprentice and mentor!"

"Batpaw! Minkprowl!" A nervous chorus of cats yowled our names.

Dunestar dipped her head and leapt off the highledge.

Minkprowl and I did the same.

"So, I'm your mentor now," Minkprowl mused.

"Yeah, that was kind of sudden wasn't it?" My heart beat a little faster as the realization crept in.

Minkprowl pawed the vole he had tossed earlier and batted it in front of me. "Here, eat a little. It'll help you chill out," he suggested.

"Are you sure?" I asked, "Weren't you gonna eat that?"

Minkprowl shot a swift, look at the empty fresh-kill pile. "Nah, I should hunt a little anyway. Why don't we meet back here at sunfall and talk more later?"

"Okay," I agreed. My own stomach groaned in protest at the hollow lacuna in my gut.

Minkprowl and I dipped our heads respectfully. He padded over to say something to Martenleap who walked out of camp with him.

I grabbed the vole in my jaws, settled under an overhanging fern, and greedily devoured my first meal as a Spiritual Advisor's apprentice.


	8. Chapter 5: Freak

**Chapter 5**

_**Freak**_

Orange, red, and blue mixed together as the sun began to fall. The lake surface sparkled as the remaining shafts of light penetrated the thick cluster of gray clouds in the sky. It would again rain tonight.

I remembered with some irritation the restrictions that came on the evening of my apprenticeship. For one, I couldn't speak from the moment the sun went down tonight until sunrise the next morning (it represented listening to the world around you/StarClan). For another, I couldn't sleep at camp (this rule was not so bad), I had to stay at the moonpool for the whole night (this represented being with StarClan).

A gregarious flock of barnacle geese flew in the shape of a forked branch above us. Various repercussions of countless bird types warbled and whistled their symphonious melodies back and forth across the lake and forest. Even a nightingale was pitching in its harmony.

Humidity made the air uncomfortably hot and heavy. Even the thinnest of pelts, including mine, were affected by the mugginess. I shook myself in a fruitless attempt to displace the stickiness that clumped my fur together.

Heavy rains had moistened the ground and made muddy spots all over the forest. It would've been easier to jump from tree to tree to our destination, but the bark was too slippery to climb.

Minkprowl's rich, mahogany coat was darkened as he was forced to wade through the squelching muck.

"Are you sure he went this way? I don't smell anything," Minkprowl questioned out of discomfort and uncertainty.

"Yeah," I replied, "the rain just washed away the scent is all."

Thankfully, an absorbent bed of pine needles formed beneath our paws as we approached the ShadowClan border.

"It was on a low branch on one of these pines," I told Minkprowl.

"Okay." He was already sniffing along the border looking for the black tuft of wolf fur.

I didn't know what Minkprowl wanted it for, but he said he'd show me when we got back to camp.

"Aha!" Minkprowl exclaimed. He pulled the black fur out of a bush and fluffed his chest in satisfaction. "Got it," his mew was muffled by his find. He flicked his tail towards camp and we turned around.

The sound of paw steps made us turn around.

An intimidating gray and black tom accompanied by a sparrow-brown she-cat gawked at us in surprise.

"You're not a patrol," the she-cat hissed. It was Hoppingwren from the Gathering. Her snobby energy and condescending gaze made me dislike her at once.

"Obviously," I kept my voice level, but I didn't hesitate to give her a warning glare.

The big tom was ShadowClan's deputy: Shrikehunt. "We need to speak to Dunestar." It wasn't so much a question as it was their way of challenging us to protest their presence on our territory. Both ShadowClan cats eyed me suspiciously and with particular repugnance.

I resisted the urge to bristle aggressively. If this was how cats were going to treat me from now on, then life was about to get a whole lot harder.

"Alright," Minkprowl agreed through a tuft of fur. He was very composed, but I could feel contempt rolling off his pelts, "We are going back to camp right now, you can walk with us."

The four of us walked briskly towards camp with Minkprowl and Shrikehunt in the lead. Shrikehunt didn't say anything, but his ears swiveled towards me frequently and he was _not_ happy about having me walk behind him. Hoppingwren kept shooting fleeting glances at me like she expected me to pounce on her at any moment. They became more frequent as I got more and more put off by her disrespect. My anger only escalated the matter until her looks became as constant as the beats of a butterfly wing.

A snarl ripped from my throat, "WILL YOU STOP THAT?"

Hoppingwren gave me an icy-eyed stare in an attempt to hide her fear.

_Freak, _she thought.

My yowl tore through the tenseness, "_I am not a FREAK_!" Oh crap. I probably should've kept my mouth shut.

Our whole group stopped and Hoppingwren's jaw dropped in shock.

The scent of ThunderClan dominated as a patrol with Piedpelt, Fishdive, and Quickpounce, led by Puffytail, bounded to our side.

The white and brown-patched cat raised his hackles, "What's going on here?" His eyes narrowed at the ShadowClan cats.

Shrikehunt opened his mouth to answer, but Hoppingwren beat him to it. "He heard my thoughts!"

For some reason I am not sure of, I did not want my clan to find out like this. So, I came up with the best plan I could: I argued, "What? That's ridiculous!"

"I said nothing, but you knew what I was thinking!"

The shallow mirth it brought me to see her astounded face pushed my creativity further. "Why are you trying to get me in trouble? Look around! No one is impressed by your accusations."

She was dumbfounded by my contradictions and totally stuck. Shrikehunt tapped her shoulder with his tail tip to calm her down. His knitted brow told me that he was inwardly deciding whether to believe me or Hoppingwren. Lucky for me, Hoppingwren must have been a liar back in ShadowClan, too.

"What are you doing here?" Puffytail asked Shrikehunt directly this time.

"We need to speak to Dunestar."

"What is it you need to tell her?" Puffytail pressed. All the ThunderClan cats were taken aback by his nosiness.

"That is for Dunestar's ears," Shrikehunt stated simply.

Unfortunately, Puffytail was in the mood to exercise his power, "Need I remind you on whose territory you are?"

"Need I remind you of your status?" Shrikehunt curtly affirmed.

A faint, sickly purple haze appeared as Puffytail's claws unsheathed briefly before he licked his paw and feigned submission. I could feel that he refused to admit defeat. _I hope we meet in battle someday, _he hissed mentally.

"Very well." Puffytail broke into a canter and we all followed.

Eight cats leapt over boulders, dodged brambles, and hurried around trees. The ShadowClan cats were just as displeased with the mud puddles as we were. Especially when we had to go through a large brown puddle-there was no way around it-and massive splashes of mud from the patrol's broad strides got thrown into their faces.

Rustlepaw, Sandpiper, and Twigfeather were talking near camp, but they stopped as soon as they caught sight of us. We slowed to a walk and went single-file through ThunderClan's camp entrance.

"ShadowClan!" Martenleap announced.

Everyone charged out of their den and bristled at the two ShadowClan cats.

Unlike the rest of us, Minkprowl went to his den instead of staying to listen to what the ShadowClan cats had to say.

Tuggingbranch and Dunestar slipped out of the leader's den.

"Shrikehunt, Hoppingwren, what brings you here?" Dunestar asked.

Shrikehunt replied, "Swoopstar asks that we warn you about a recent appearance on our territory."

"Why does it concern us?" Dunestar meowed.

"The wolf is back."

A feeling of concern came over me as well as a strong craving to figure out the connection between the wolf and my dream.

"Really?" Dunestar said.

"Yes, and a dog, too."

"Is there more?"

"No," Shrikehunt confirmed.

Dunestar let this soak in for a moment, "Thank you Shrikehunt and Hoppingwren. Martenleap, Sparrowhawk, escort them to the border please."

The two ThunderClan warriors dipped their heads in unison.

"Tell Swoopstar he has my thanks as well," Dunestar mewed to the ShadowClan cats.

"Yes, Dunestar," Shrikehunt mewed.

I felt Hoppingwren's glare on me one last time before she turned and followed her deputy out the entrance.

Dunestar leapt onto the highledge and yowled, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highledge for a clan meeting!"

Everyone grouped close together and listened. Minkprowl slipped out of his den and took a seat next to me.

"As most of you now know, there is a wolf and a dog on our territory. As an extra precaution, no cat can leave camp alone, only in pairs or groups of three or more," she announced and leapt off the highledge.

Minkprowl—who had somehow came to my side without me knowing-pinned back his ears and sighed quietly, "Again? When is that damn mutt going to get out of our forest?"

I cocked my head in confusion. "What's a mutt?"

"A derogatory term for any canine," Minkprowl said matter-of-factly.

I noticed for the first time that he didn't have the black tuft of fur anymore. "Where's the wolf's fur?"

"In my den," Minkprowl replied.

"Already?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I don't care too much for ShadowClan's melodramatic reports."

"Melodramatic? There was a wolf _and _a dog!" I argued. Why was he so nonchalant about this?

Minkprowl chuckled, "When Hoppingwren is helping deliver the news, you know it's no big deal."

I couldn't help but laugh.

An inquisitive light shone in my mentor's pale yellow eyes. He leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear, "Did you really hear her mind?"

He sat upright again and eagerly watched for my answer.

I nodded, "It happens sometimes."

"That's incredible!" He meowed in amazement.

"So," I said, trying to change the subject, "What did you want that fur for?"

His face brightened, "Come here, I'll show you."


	9. Chapter 6: Delve

**Omg, it has been _so _long since I uploaded a chapter XP. School has taken a toll, thank God for break! Chapters 6-8 have actually been ready for a long time, I've just been waiting for my mom to edit them (that's how we roll). So, I hope you enjoy this, I'll have chapter 7 up tomorrow (promise).**

**Thank you to anyone who has reviewed 3! I really love that, it brings me joy :)**

**Chapter 6**

_**Delve**_

We padded towards Minkprowl's den, which was basically just a hole made by a stack of rocks, and what was inside surprised me.

Little items of all sizes, textures, and colors decorated the roomy cave. A soft, mossy nest lay in the left corner next to a collection of bird feathers from countless avian species. Cerulean jay feathers, russet hawk primaries, teal duck down, golden-yellow oriole feathers, and dozens of others were separated into neat piles.

Most of the right side of the den was covered in mud of some sort. Pink and blue shells, a multitude of shiny stones, russet fox fur, accompanied by black and silver badger hair-all were pushed into the clay to adorn the wall. Even stranger: perfect, undamaged skulls of a shrew, a snake, creepers, kestrels, and an owl framed the eccentric collaboration.

Minkprowl took some moist moss in his jaws, wet an empty section in the wall, rubbed the wall with his paw-which made it sink in a little-and proceeded to press the wolf fur into the wall. It stuck like a burr.

"Uh," I wasn't sure what to make of this, "Wow."

Minkprowl laughed lightly, "Yeah. It's kind of an obsession of mine," he admitted.

"What is this exactly?"

"It's, um... I love beautiful things. Especially birds. Their songs, feathers-everything about them is wonderful," Minkprowl said.

"Skulls and rocks are beautiful to you, too?" I asked.

"Well, at first it was just feathers. But I was walking in the woods one day, by the ancient oak. When I found a tawny owl skull, I just had to have it," he explained. "Ever since then, I broadened my horizons, and anything unusual was a treasure."

Unusual was a good way to describehis collection.

I examined the clay wall. "How did this get started anyway?"

Minkprowl sighed wistfully and recalled a memory. "It was in the middle of leaf-bare many moons ago. ThunderClan was just recovering from a greencough epidemic." Minkprowl lay in his nest as sorrow filled his eyes. I curled up and listened to him, which made me feel like a kit being told a story again.

Minkprowl did not feel so comfortable: the memories he was recalling of his youth were not quite so dear to him.

"The sickness took so many of us. All the elders, kits, even a warrior. Six total. My brother, Cuckoopaw," Minkprowl chuckled, but I felt him hurting, "He was a rascal. A good cat, though. Did what he was told, had unwavering loyalty to his clan, and always made the rest of us laugh. But..." Minkprowl looked at something beside him for a moment. I felt a change in that split second-sorrow to inspiration-before he continued and grief returned. "But, greencough took him. It was a terrible time. Our numbers were low and everyone was starving. Every second of the day my sister and brother, Wryfang and Martenleap, and I were hunting constantly. Two meager pieces of prey were considered a good catch. One day, Wryfang came up with a plan."

I saw a white flicker in front of me. Again. And again. Like a moth's wing flittering in front of my eyes. I shook my head, but it wouldn't leave.

"What's wrong?" Minkprowl asked. His sad, dim eyes met mine and I saw an image: snow- snow everywhere- on trees, on boulders, falling from the sky. A terribly skinny she-cat, bones poking through her skin at sickly angles. She was a shade of dark brown that was almost black (like Minkprowl) except she had white hocks.

The she-cat turned around to reveal a white blaze on her face, her amber eyes aglow with fear and hope.

When she mewed, I could hear the frailness in her voice, _"Minkpaw! I have an idea."_

"Batpaw?" Minkprowl snapped me out of the trance. "Batpaw, are you okay?"

"I… yeah," I stuttered.

"Your eyes are watering," Minkprowl pointed out.

I blinked a few times. It was true, they were wet!

"Batpaw, do you feel alright?" Minkprowl pressed. The air darkened as grief and concern thickened the atmosphere. A violet haze came into view and stung my eyes.

"Ugh!" I snarled.

"What's wrong?" Minkprowl started to get up from his nest and the violet haze intensified.

"No! Lie back down!" I objected. Purple was obscuring my vision with each second, burning as though someone had batted a pawful of sand in my eyes.

"I'm getting Roughtongue," he said.

"No. I saw your sister!" I yowled. Disbelief emanated from my mentor and the pain was too much. I growled and tightly shut my eyes to block out the haze.

"What do you mean?" Minkprowl demanded.

"I saw your memory with the snow and the she-cat with the brown pelt like yours. She had white hocks, a blaze, and amber eyes." I didn't dare open my eyes, but I felt Minkprowl's reaction. Instead of shock or amazement-the reaction I was getting used to expecting- was suspicion and… something else. Anger?

"What else did you see?" Minkprowl hissed.

"She called you Minkpaw. She said, 'Minkpaw! I have an idea'."

"Really?" My mentor whispered. "Why are you shutting your eyes though?"

"Your grief and worry turned the air purple. It's like a haze, I've seen it before, but it's more contained here and it filled up the den. It burns my eyes really bad."

"I'm sorry," Minkprowl apologized.

"Don't be. I've felt your pain," I assured him honestly, "Go on, it's okay." I nodded and sat down calmly, eyes still shut.

He still didn't believe me. "You _saw _my memory?"

I suppressed a hiss. "Yes, briefly."

The moss in Minkprowl's nest sighed as he lay back down. "Okay," he submitted.

"Anyway, Wryfang came up with a plan. There was almost no prey in our territory, so she decided that we could try to steal from the two-leg nest."

Without the distraction of seeing, I could focus on Minkprowl many times easier. This time, the image didn't flicker, but just popped up in my mind. As a test, I listened harder and turned all my attention to Minkprowl and his energy.

My intellect rebelled as I discovered my newest ability. I focused even _more _intensely. _"No!"_ My heart screamed. But my mind was hungry for knowledge, for the power that I was figuring out. I wasn't seeing the memory anymore, I was _living _it.

Minkprowl's words faded as I lost myself and delved into his mind.

**Yay! New ability! Shadow-warping/summoning+mind-reading+being able to see panic= that's three powers so far. I know that's a little much (actually, it even irritates _me _how many powers he has) but all will be explained soon enough!**

**P.S. If you're wondering, then yes, there will be more abilities-two actually (-believe me this does not spoil anything).**

**Super special awesome cookies for those of you who have read the entire story so far! It really means _a lot _to me :)**


	10. Chapter 7: Cuckoo

**When I originally wrote this (a month or two ago before my brother messed up the computer :P), Cuckoopaw seemed like a cool name. After all, when I Googled it, nobody else had that name (at least not anyone I know of), but I guess there's a reason for that (lol). Oh well, it works for the story.**

**Also, it's 7:30 here, so it's still today here (I promised in my last chapter that I would upload this today, not that anyone cares, but still kept my word).**

**...**

**Chapter 7**

_**Cuckoo**_

Cold. So cold.

Soft, feathery snow drearily fell down on my fur. It piled on my back and melted through my fur. I shivered and the snow shook off onto the ground. My paws were numb from all the walking. It felt so hopeless, there was almost no prey.

I wanted to slow down and sit under a tree so the flakes couldn't freeze me, but the aching void in my stomach was too much to bare.

_Just a rabbit, _I begged StarClan, _Just one rabbit!_

"Hurry up," Wrypaw growled.

"Don't tell me what to do," I snarled back.

"If you keep going so slowly, then the prey will hear you coming and by then it'll be too late," Wrypaw needlessly reminded me. "If your stench doesn't scare them away first."

I knew she was just being sour to try to get her mind off the snow. And Cuckoopaw.

I chuckled when I thought of my orange-eyed, mouse-brown brother.

Wrypaw turned to let glare at me, "What are you laughing at?" she spat.

Her eyes met mine and I responded honestly, "He was always so happy, no matter what."

Wrypaw didn't need an explanation. She knew who I was talking about.

"Can we not talk about him right now?" she hissed.

"He wouldn't like to see you so depressed," I added.

"_He _is not here right now!" Wrypaw yowled. She curled her lips into a snarl and exposed that oddly curved fang that she was named for.

"I miss him just as much as you do, there's no need to be so mean," I mewed calmly.

Wrypaw sighed and muttered to herself. She knows I'm right.

She was about to say something else, but the scene changed.

. . .

My lungs burned with icy leaf-bare wind. I swiftly pursued the rabbit using what little energy I had. I was so weak, but the will to survive and protect my clan rose above everything.

It zigzagged right and left. My muscles protested against going so fast, especially in the snow, where I had to work twice as hard to keep up with it.

The rabbit suddenly disappeared.

"No," I pleaded, "No, this cannot be happening."

I sniffed around until my nose dipped down into a burrow. My heart stopped in place. That was the first thing I'd spotted in two days and now it was gone.

I looked up at the rising sun, mocking me from behind the clouds.

"Why?" I hissed at the sun.

It offered no answer, but I futily asked again, "Why?"

A furious caterwaul erupted from my throat, "WHY, DAMN IT?"

The evil, soulless circle kept ascending as it had since the beginning of time. Not saying a word, just pitying the poor mortal souls that depended on it for the sustenance which it now refused to provide-even in ThunderClan's direst time.

It was still so cold. I shivered and curled up like a helpless kitten in the snow. My entire body shuddered and began to freeze up. It hurt, but at least I could not feel the emptiness in my stomach

_Cuckoopaw, can you hear me?_

. . .

I hated seeing him like this, I hated that this was the way he would go, I hated that neither of us could say good-bye.

Cuckoopaw lay there, flanks rising and falling ever so slightly. His ribs stuck out of his fur and I could count every one of them. He might as well have been dead.

The silence in the abandoned two-leg nest was deafening. Wrypaw, Martenpaw and I sat there, helplessly watching our brother's deterioration. My father's black pelt was ragged from lack of upkeep. Mother was just as bad: her golden eyes were dark with grief and the red in her tortoiseshell pelt was almost unnoticeable among the dirt and matting.

Cuckoopaw would die today, it was inevitable. But we collectively refused to accept. As Cuckoopaw slipped further and further away from us, we furthered ourselves from each other.

I leaned closer to hear his breath. Cuckoopaw reeked of sickness and decay. His breathing was so soft, it was almost inaudible. But he was still alive. ..

. . .

We had been walking in silence for a long time. It had been four days since either of us had eaten. Snow cascaded down more heavily now than ever, a cruel joke.

Wrypaw turned around, her amber eyes glowing with hope and fear.

"I have an idea," she announced.

I stared at her in amazement. How could she look so alive? She was skin and bones, a walking corpse, but her eyes were defiant.

"We could steal from the two-legs' nest. They must have food in there. They're always well-fed," she explained.

Her words were all white noise. If it weren't for the current situation, the eerie white-frosted trees might actually be beautiful.

"How can you still be willing to risk so much?" I asked Wrypaw.

The question caught her off guard, but she replied, "Cuckoopaw would have wanted us to try."

"Cuckoopaw is dead. Half the clan is dead and we still have two more moons until newleaf. We might not make it. There's no reason to try," my mew was hoarse and soft.

Wrypaw snarled, "I don't need a reason."

I sighed in defeat, "How do you suggest we do it?"

"Well," Wrypaw began, "We need to cross Shadow Clan territory without running into a patrol, plus avoid being caught by the two-legs. We could leave after sunfall, when the two-legs are sleeping and when we're less likely to run into a ShadowClan patrol."

"You know when ShadowClan's patrols go out?"

"No," Wrypaw admitted, "Martenpaw might though. We could give it a shot."

I mulled over the thought. As much as I really hated the idea of breaking the warrior code, we did need the food—we _really _needed the food.

"Alright," I meowed, "I'm in."

. . .

Piercing cold wind struck my face. The lights of the two-legs' nest glowed ahead.

"How much farther?" Martenpaw asked.

"Not too long now!" Wrypaw meowed against the wind.

The three of us stubbornly ventured on against the unyielding storm, even my thick brown pelt had minimal protection from the cold.

The blizzard turned my vision white. I could barely see a tail-length in front of me, but I knew where to go.

Suddenly, the wind changed and blasted into me. I growled and tried to walk against it, but it kept pushing me to the left. The blizzard forcefully veered me farther and farther left.

"Where are you going Minkpaw?" Wrypaw shouted.

"The same place you are!" I replied.

"Then why-?" Wrypaw began, but her words were lost to the wind.

For a while, I felt the flat Thunderpath beneath the snow. It quickly vanished as the ice storm bowled me over.

I lost all focus as I tumbled down a slope. The hard snow hit me like rocks as I fell further and further away from the familiarity of my surroundings.

My stomach fluttered as I dropped off a ledge.

I grunted and groaned as gravity relentlessly slammed me onto frozen ice. The pain on my side was unbearable. Malnourishment had pulled the skin to my bones, making my ribs more fragile and breakable. I could feel the bruises and swelling forming because of the hard fall.

The icy floor clung to my pelt and chilled me to the core, hypothermia began to set in.

Against my will, I stood on my weak paws and struggled over to a sheltered forest.

Through the white storm, I could make out the silhouette of a low bush. I ambled beneath it and collapsed. The wind was less harsh here, though the terrible numbing pain of snow remained under my pelt.

Thoughts of Wrypaw and Minkpaw ran through my head as the shrill howling of the icy blizzard faded out and mercifully my body put me to sleep.

. . .

A sharp ringing echoed in my ears as I listened to the silence outside of my shelter. Slowly, I lifted my head off the ground and focused on my situation. The first thing I noticed was that Wrypaw and Minkpaw weren't next to me. For a second I actually thought, _when did they leave camp? _The second thing I noticed was that this, in fact, was not ThunderClan's apprentice den. As I stumbled out of the shelter into the stone-cold forest, it hit home that I was lost and alone.

I shook icicles out of my clumpy fur and got out of the stuffy den. The snow outside was so cold that I actually squinted when looking at it.

"Hello?" I croaked, "Is anybody out there?"

There was no reply.

A fluttering sound drew into the mysterious woods. Where was I, anyway? Everything smelled different, nothing looked familiar, even the whisper of a breeze through the trees seemed alien.

My ears twitched as I listened to faint scratching sounds on the snow. Maybe StarClan had brought me here to bring prey back to the clan—if only I knew how to get back to them.

Wing-flapping above me made me stop in my tracks. A strange russet bird that I had never seen before came down to the ground and pecked at the ice. It was a lovely reddish-brown with black and white striped wings and a long, narrow, subtly-curved beak; a darker colored crest with black and white tips was flat against its head.

I don't know what I was thinking—maybe the leaf-bare was getting to my head—but for some reason, I was tempted to _talk _to the bird. "Hello," I mewed roughly.

The bird's head jerked up and it eyed me cautiously.

"I'm Minkpaw, what's your name?"

It didn't seem like the bird was alarmed by my voice, actually, I think I had piqued its interest. It fluffed up its feathers for a moment and raised its tall, rounded crest, then parted its bill slightly. I almost had a heart-attack when it whistled, "_Cuckoo."_

. . .

**Out of curiosity, can anyone guess what kind of bird that is? It really exists and _has_ visited Britain in the past, though it is extremely rare for it do so. **

**Clue #1: Trysyllabic song "oop oop oop" (the first time I heard it I thought it was saying, "cuckoo," which was another inspiration for this chapter).**

**Clue #2: Upupa**

**If anyone thinks they have it right, you can put the answer in a review or PM me (or you don't have to do anything at all) and the first person to get it can request art from me (you don't _have _to, but if you want) or have a slice of this delicious internet cake :)**

**My DA account-mmmchocolate (link in my profile)**


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